Swiggy, the on-demand delivery platform on Wednesday announced that it will vaccinate over 2,00,000 delivery partners against COVID-19.
This comes close on the heels of the Central government’s announcement on the next phase of the nationwide vaccination commencing April 1, 2021, for individuals aged 45 and above, the company said in a statement.
“In the first tranche of the programme, 5,500 of Swiggy’s delivery partners, aged 45 and above will be eligible to opt-in for the vaccination. By the end of the program, Swiggy hopes to encourage 2,00,000 plus delivery partners with the choice to get vaccinated as they continue to provide an essential service. Swiggy is also requesting authorities for the prioritisation of delivery partners in the vaccine drive,” the statement said.
Announcing this vaccination programme, Vivek Sunder, COO, Swiggy, said, “Over the past year, our delivery women and men have been a lifeline for the nation, delivering food and other essentials to millions of Indians during their time of need. As we continue to make all efforts to fight the pandemic, we are prioritising creating awareness across our fleet and extending our Covid cover to include access to vaccination for all delivery partners. We will also cover for the loss of pay when they take the time off to get vaccinated.”
“This is another step in doing our bit for our partners who are supporting not just themselves and their families but also the society as essential service providers.”
“In addition to life insurance, medical and accident cover, through the pandemic, the company has been providing loss of pay cover for partners recovering from COVID-19,” Swiggy said.
India had granted emergency use authorisation to two COVID-19 vaccines — Pune-based Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd’s Covaxin which are being used in the government’s vaccination drive.